A Florence Nightingale
by umi101
Summary: He could not remember her, but she gave off a familiar aura that drew him to her. Her job was to help him recover, not fall in love with him. SK
1. Chapter 1

**A Florence Nightingale **

Standard Disclaimer! I Do NOT own Inu Yasha.

Ch. 1 A Familiar Face

** Hello! I am not dead.. almost.. but not yet :D Anyway, I had this idea for my next story.

Here is some background:

This is based off the idea of the Florence Nightingale Effect. It is, "The **Florence Nightingale Effect** is a psychological complex where people who are entrusted with the care and wellbeing of vulnerable patients begin to form a romantic attraction and often erotic attraction toward their charges. Medical workers, such as nurses, are typically at risk, and it is a form of psychological counter transference. The effect can also occur in patients who see medical workers as their protector and then develop feelings for them. It was named after nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale." (.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale_Effect)

There is some back ground just in case not everyone is aware of what it is exactly. I really hope you enjoy the first chapter, let me know what you think.

Enjoy!!

__________________

The city's monumental clock tower gonged it's last chime alerting the scattered individuals wandering around the empty late night streets that it was half passed one a.m. on a cool clear still spring night.

Some distance away a black sleek BMW 750i pulled out from the parking garage attached to a prestigious multi-million dollar company. The occupant inside was just leaving work after a long day of listening to his hair-brained secretary talk about things she had no clue how to do.

Casting a quick glance in the rearview mirror, dark circles could be seen under the eyes, marring his smooth skin complexion. Drawing in a deep breath, he placed a hand around the expensive tie tied around his neck and pulled it loose; in hopes it would relax him.

He was in a hurry to get home and get to bed; but he knew enough to not drive recklessly and endanger himself or others. Taking his left hand from the steering wheel, he brought the strong hand to his left temple and tried to smooth out the tension building there.

Approaching the red stop light ahead he decreased the car's speed bringing it to a stop. He swiftly looked to his left and right; as always there were no other cars on the road this late at night in this part particular of town. '_Just go, no one is here,'_ He thought to himself. Slowly lifting his foot off the break, paused, and replanted it back onto the break, "With my luck there would be a Police man down the road." With that said to no one in the vehicle with him, he decided to wait for the light to change. He wouldn't lower himself to think he was above the law.

About thirty seconds later the light changed and he continued on his way home. As he drove, he casually thought, '_Maybe I will call in sick tomorrow and just work from home. I can do much more work that way and there is no need to go in anyways_' Remembering the events that transpired earlier that day, he growled his annoyance low in his throat.

**Flashback**

The high pitched chime alerted him that he had reached his destination: the top floor of his office building. Dark marbled floors with a rich dark red carpet interwoven with gold designs lead the way to the large office doors ahead. On his right, large glass windows allowed the light from the early morning sun shine it's way into the building, illuminating the entire room. Stepping out he walked briskly to the double doors at the end of the elaborate hallway decorated with plants to bring in a fresh "homey" feeling for his clients.

As he entered the red oak doors, he noticed his secretary sat at her desk, head bent to the flat surface. Watching her back rise and fall, he realized that she was asleep. Sneering to himself, he rolled his eyes in disgust.

'_Apparently eight o'clock is still too early for her,'_ he thought to himself. With one more scoff at her, he continued his way to his office.

He was a very busy man that had work that needed to be finalized, clients to call and proposals that need his undivided attention; time is money and time wasted is money being burned.

Sitting in the comfortable chair at his desk, his hands searched through the files and papers scattered everywhere for a phone number. Fed up with looking, he pressed the intercom button and growled out, "Yuka."

After no response he pressed the button once more and yelled, "Yuka!"

On the other side of his doors he heard a "thud" and suspected that Yuka, his dozing secretary had fallen out of her seat.

"Yes?" replied a voice that sounded a lot like nails on a chalk board. It was anything but attractive and it drove him crazy.

"Get me Mr. Takahashi's number." Tilting back in his chair and closing his eyes, his mind wandered to his secretary just thinking about his inept secretary falling out of her seat formed the smallest of smirks on his angelic features.

The sound of doors opening and closing signaled she had found the number he had asked for. As she walked into his office, he noticed she didn't have anything in her hand; Yuka walked around the desk, stood beside him and leaned over his shoulder in an attempt to seduce him.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes and sigh out loud, his gaze traveled up and down surveying her state of dress today. Starting from the ground up, he noticed the black mini skirt was barely covering her and was that... leather? A black leather mini skirt? This woman had no self respect. Looking at her shirt now, he couldn't decide which was worse, the skirt or the shirt.

The blouse was too small. He swore he heard the white shirt screaming bloody murder from being stretched too far over her breast. He also noted she was wearing a black bra, he wondered, 'Does this woman not watch, _What Not To Wear?_ Perhaps I shall have to sign her up for it.' Finally, his eyes rested on her face, truly he thought she was pretty, but covered up in the layers of caked make-up. The mismatched foundation was just enough for him to want to smack himself for thinking she was ever pretty.

Taking a deep breath he tried to try and calm his temper that was building, "The number Yuka?"

"I've got it right here" she stated pointing to her head.

'This will be interesting,' he mused to himself.

He watched as she tried to seductively reach in front of him to the phone on his left, giving him a perfect view of her cleavage. Dialing the number Yuka held the phone to her ear. "I'm calling for Mr. Takahashi"

Cringing at the sound of her voice, he closed his eyes, trying with every ounce of will power he had to not cover her mouth with his hand and shut her up. He listened and waited patiently for her to hand the phone over to him.

He knew Yuka had been trying to get into his pants from the very first day he hired her, and her ridiculous antics were getting old. He was fed up with her childishness and unprofessional manner.

"What do you mean there is no Takahashi there? Of course there is, he's the CEO of Japanese Medical Company," Yuka sternly said into the phone, now trying to pull out the authority card.

Drawing his attention away from her appearance he could hear the male voice on the end say, "That's cool and all, but this a pizza parlor. Not Japanese Med. Like I said, there is no Takahashi here ma'am."

That was it. He was done with dealing with Yuka's behavior and complete lack of responsibility. He grabbed the phone from her hands and hung it up. Exasperated he said, "Yuka, you have been working for me for three months. And in those three months, I have had to do your job because you can't seem to do it yourself. My biggest regret is letting you work here for as long as you have, however that is about to change. You're fired. Pack up your things. I want you off the premises in fifteen minutes."

Watching Yuka close the door behind her, he resisted the urge to pat himself on the back for finally doing away with the troublesome girl. Now he had to find himself someone who was competent enough to do the job he required his secretary to do.

**End flashback***

Off in the distance he saw another red light. Slowing the BMW almost to a stop the light turned green, granting him passage without coming to a full stop. Smirking, he said out loud, "My luck must be changing already."

Approaching the next intersection a light flashed in the corner of his eye. Quickly turning his attention to his left he saw what appeared to be two cars, drag racing. Mesmerized by what he saw he found he couldn't turn his gaze from the cars racing towards him. He was frozen in shock. One car swerved out of his way, avoiding him, but before he could re-act the other car collided into him.

He did what any other person would do; he braced himself for the impact. The sound of metal upon into metal, molding one car to the other could be heard, along with shattering glass. Then all was silent.

Moments after the impact, the sound of screeching tires echoed through the streets as the other car sped away from the scene, leaving both driver's to their own fates. No movement could be seen from either car. Luckily, installed in the BMW was a safety crash system that alerted the proper authorities of the danger the car's owner was in. Hopefully the ambulance would arrive in time.

**Across town in the local hospital**

Footsteps echoed in the empty hallway as the graveyard nurse made her rounds. Everything seemed to be fine; all the patients in ICU and the Rehabilitation Center were sound asleep.

Making her way to the main desk all she wanted to do was finish up the rest of the book she was currently reading.

A few moments later, sirens could be heard off in the distance. Pausing in her reading, she marked the page and rushed to the ER entrance, anxiously waiting for the victim to arrive.

The back doors of the ambulance flew open; as an EMT began to pull out the victim strapped to the stretcher. Glancing over his shoulder the black haired, violet eye colored medical personal saw the nurse before him he was washed with relief.

"My dearest Sango, as always it is a pleasure to see you." He said with a grin growing on his face.

Wanting to roll her eyes, she could only shake her head as she helped him unload the stretcher to wheel the victim inside the hospital

"Miroku, why am I not surprised you are working the same night as I?" she replied to the EMT she had known for a few years now. "Have you stooped as low as to stalk me at work now?" she added with a chuckle.

Feigning hurt; Miroku took a free hand and delicately placed over his heart, "Why Sango, what man wouldn't do it for the woman he loves."

She held up her hand to silence him. He was there for a reason and it certainly was not to ask her on a date. "What happened here?" she asked, referring to the person they were pushing towards the elevator.

Switching from the flirtatious lecher, Miroku was known for, he answered her. "Male; mid to late twenties; car accident, he was T-boned pretty bad on the driver's side. When we found him he was breathing, but unconscious and hasn't come out of it."

"Where is the driver to the other vehicle?" she asked him, puzzled that only one person was brought it. Shaking his head he replied, "Dead on the scene, his blood alcohol content was a .85. Found his body a few yards away from the scene, he never had a chance."

Nodding in understanding she brought her attention back to the patient in front of her "Any other injuries that I need to be aware of," she asked as she began to wheel the stretcher off the elevator onto the correct floor.

Taking a deep breath Miroku answered, "We suspect some major head trauma, and you might want to run a CAT scan on him for any signs of hematoma. A concussion is very likely. His torso is pretty banged up, some bruising for sure. His left femur is broken. We managed to place it into a vacuum splint and got the bleeding to stop."

Offering a friendly smile, Sango thanked Miroku for the information. "I'll be sure to pass the news, I'll take him from here to get that CAT scan and check out any damage to the brain."

Taking her small, delicate hand into his own, the dark haired EMT kissed the top of it. "Until I see you again, my dearest, maybe next time it'll be over dinner?"

"Don't hold your breath Hentei." She replied as she took her snatched her hand back. Sango continued on her way down the hall leaving Miroku at the elevators to show himself out. Before she could turn the corner, she glanced at him once more and winked at him then disappeared.

Miroku smirked to himself. He loved her games of cat and mouse. _'A good chase is always worth the prize at the end,'_ he thought to himself. Entering the elevator once more he made his way down to the ambulance, got in and drove away into the early morning hours.

_____________

Morning finally arrived; Sango stood up and stretched her tight, aching body. Last night had been eventful. It was a nice having excitement around the hospital. Her shift was now at an end, she could finally go home.

The patient from last night checked better than she thought he would. Luckily, no hematoma was found. However, after the CAT scan it showed that some damage had been done to the brain. Not a lot, just some deep bruising. Unfortunately nothing can be determined until he wakes up and is evaluated thoroughly.

Making her way to the main nurse's station yet again, she arrived in time to see the nurse working the next shift after her setting her personal things down. Slowly sneaking up behind the girl Sango chirped up, "Kagome! Good morning!"

Scarring the poor girl to death, Kagome screamed and almost lost the contents from her bladder.

Sharply turning around Kagome scolded her friend, "Sango! You know I hate it when you do that to me! Ugh... You are so mean you know that."

Sango couldn't contain the laughter coming from her, "I'm sorry, ever since you got this new shift during the day time I haven't been able to hang out with you. I miss my best friend." Sango said as she gave her companion a sad puppy eyed look and a quivering chin in attempt to convey her loneliness.

Kagome and Sango had gone through medical school to become registered nurses. They had been lab partners and became fast friends. The two did everything together, they were more than friends they were sisters. Eventually, after graduating with the certifications needed, they moved into an apartment and spilt the cost of rent.

"I know… I know… but I really want to go back to school to finish up my PhD and become a doctor. You know when I do I'm going to need a full time nurse to work for me" Kagome said encouragingly. The two have had this conversation many times, but they still talk about it teasingly to one another as an inside joke.

"Speaking of doctors and nurses, we got a new patient in last night" Sango commented. She then filled Kagome in with all the details concerning her new patient's condition, his medication and treatments thus far.

Gathering her books and purse, Sango reached behind the chair she had been occupying most of the night and grab her jacket. Turning to leave, she hesitated. She knew she was forgetting something. Then it dawned on her. "Oh Kagome, before I forget. Dr. Yamada wanted to see you right away."

Shocked that the head doctor wanted to see her, knots began to tighten in her stomach, "Okay, do you know where he is?" inquired Kagome.

Seeing her friend's distress she assured her, "Don't worry, you're not in trouble. When I last saw him he was heading to his office. Alright I'm heading out, see you at home later?"

"Yea, I don't have classes today so we can watch a movie or something later" Kagome offered, feeling a little bit better now. She couldn't help but let her imagination run wild with what Dr. Yamada wanted her for.

Nodding her head in agreement, Sango waved goodbye to her friend and headed out to her car. After bidding her farewell, Kagome headed up to Dr. Yamada's office on the fourth floor. 'I hope it's nothing to bad. Maybe he has extra hours for me too work. He knows I'm looking for more hours.'

Winding her way through the corridors, Kagome rounded the corner that brought her to his door, knocked and waited. "Come in," came the muffled voice from the inside of the room. Turning the knob, she pushed the door open and entered.

"Ah! Kagome, just the person I wanted to see," cheered Dr. Yamada. He was a jolly man, in his mid forties. A passionate doctor who was good at what he did, and a good hearted man. In the three years Kagome had been working for him, she had learned a lot from him, which was why she wanted to finish up and receive her PhD.

"Yes, Sango mentioned you wanted to see me?" croaked Kagome, her voice quivering.

"No, not at all. In fact walk with me." He stood up from his desk and they exited the office, heading towards ICU, the next floor down.

"Kagome, I am assigning you to a special case. You are the best nurse I have on hand aside from Sango. You also have outstanding experience in the ICU and Rehab Center."

Trying her best to hide the blush forming on her cheeks, she felt embarrassed the way he was openly praising her for her. She always did her job because she loved it and that was that. She wasn't in it for the recognitions or rewards.

"Don't be so modest. It's true, and I am happy to have an outstanding employee like you. You know your stuff, no doubt about it." Patting her softly on the back he continued on, "Last night we received a new patient. I am sure Sango has informed you?"

"Yes she has. He has possible brain damage, but nothing that can't be fixed." she quickly responded.

"Good, I want you to be his personal caretaker and help him with his rehabilitation training until he has fully recovered." He stopped at the door, and turned his head over his shoulder to look at Kagome.

"Of course Dr. I will help him in any way that I can." Smiling up at aged man before her, he smiled back. "Thank you Kagome."

Turning the knob, Dr. Yamada pushed the door opened and the two entered the dark room, and approached the bed with the patient sleeping peacefully. All that could be heard in the room was the steady beeping of the heart monitor sitting to the patient's right.

Seeing the person before her sent a shock of fear through Kagome's entire system. Her stomach knotted and she placed a trembling hand over it, trying to calm it down. She covered her mouth with her other hand to keep the bile that might rise from her churning stomach.

Dr. Yamada looked in Kagome's direction, "Kagome? Are you alright? Sit down," he sputtered out while he ushered her to the visitor's chair next to the unconscious patient lying in the hospital bed.

"Breathe Kagome, just take a deep breath," he calmly said to her in a hushed tone. He watched silently as she attempted to control her breathing and regain her senses.

"Kagome, what happened? Are you okay?" He watched her intently as she sat up straight and looked him in the eyes.

"He... That's my ex-husbands brother, Sesshoumaru Taisho."

_______________

I'm going to stop it her for now. Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Again I am so sorry it has taken me forever to update. I was recently living in New York, and have been too busy to keep writing and of course there is always the writer's block... Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews and the encouragement to keep going.

Let me know what you think! Thanks everyone!

~~~~ Chapter 2: **The Unthinkable**

Kagome could hardly bring herself to truly comprehend what just happened to her. As she was sitting in the staff break room all by herself she kept replaying the events of her day, so consumed in her thoughts she didn't notice the break room door open or close as a fellow co-worker came for their 15 min break.

"Kagome, Dear? Are you alright?"

Pulled from her thoughts, she brought her attention to an elderly woman whom she always was a grandmother type of figure for her since her very first day.

"Keade! Yes… yes I'm well thank you." Kagome smiled, doing her best to hide the distress that was clearly showing on her face.

"My child, I'm afraid I'm not buying into that today. I've been around the block more than once to know when a woman has something weighing heavily on her mind." Keade reached out a wrinkled hand to pull out a chair from the table and sat across from the lone occupant in the room. Closing her eyes slowly, she brought the cup of coffee to her lips and took a small sip before setting it down.

"Now tell me, what happened? Yesterday you were your bright and smiling self, and now… I feel like I'm not looking at the same Kagome Higurashi that walked through those hospital doors and turned this place upside down." Concern filling Keade's voice.

Knowing she was no longer able to hide from this woman who seemed to know everything, Kagome took a deep breath, and began to tell her about her day.

"When I got here for my shift, I received a message that Dr. Yamada wanted to see me…."

Kaede just sat there and listened patiently as she was told of the girl's concern. But she was not expecting to hear what came next.

"The man that I saw in the hospital bed is my ex-husband's, brother. Sesshoumaru Taisho." Inhaling another breath, she mustered the courage to look at Kaede in the eye. Her silvery-white hair was pulled into a tight bun. Eye brows furled together, and a patch covering her left eye, casting her right eye down. Thin tight lips were curved into a slight frown. Even though Kaede was missing an eye, Kagome could clearly see that Kaede was in deep thought.

Several moments passed, making it seem like an eternity before Kaede finally spoke.

"So what will you do?" asked Kaede, piercing into Kagome's eyes.

"I… I don't know. I mean... Sesshoumaru has been nothing but nice to me, but what if…" Bowing her head down, Kagome felt absolutely helpless. As a nurse, it is her duty to take care of anyone, but her personal life, from all that had happened, was holding her back.

Reaching across the table, Kaede took Kagome's hand in hers. "What if your ex-husband was to show up? What if everything in your life shatters? What if? What if? My child, take it from a woman who has lived more than her share in her lifetime. You can't base your life on 'what if'. By doing so, you take yourself away from what life is. Life is a learning experience. Do we fall and scrape our knees? Yes, we do. Wounds heal over time. They help us learn and grow. The Kagome I have known for these last few years doesn't let anything weigh her down. The Kagome I know is always willing to help anyone, no matter what." Giving a squeeze to Kagome's hand and a reassuring smile, Kaede stood up to leave.

Turning around to face the young woman one more time before exiting, Kaede spoke softly. "You will do the right thing, no matter what you chose." Without another word the older woman left, leaving the lone occupant to ponder more without interruption.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Walking down the halls of the ICU, Kagome came to the last door. The rest of the afternoon she had tried to busy herself by doing other duties, such as checking up on other patients under her current watch. Now she found herself at the door of the patient she had been procrastinating to check in on. Sesshoumaru Taisho. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the room, noticing only silence and the faint sound of the heart monitors beeping, alerting all medical technicians of his vitals.

Crossing the room to the bed, she picked up the file with his information. Glancing it over, she found no problems and some improvements in the last couple of hours.

She couldn't help but pull her eyes away from the paper in front of her to the man lying in the hospital bed. His long silver hair sprawled around him as if it were a halo. Some bruising had taken place, marring the perfect complexion of his face. Still with the tubes, and other things attached to his body, she found him to be as serene as ever.

A soft chuckle escaped from her, as she recalled all of the times he had helped her…

*flashback*

Why oh why did this always happen to her? Sure she was clumsy, but really? Earlier there had been laughter, now here she was on the verge of tears.

'_Idiot... Idiot… only you'_ she thought to herself as she hugged her knee close to herself protectively. Her and Inu Yasha had come home from school that day and began playing a game of tag at _his_ house. She was it, as always.

Racing to catch him, she stumbled and scraped her knee and was now holding it to bring herself comfort as Inu Yasha only laughed and ran off. Of course… what do you expect from a ten year old?

Mentally cursing herself, she fought back the tears that began to fill her eyes. Slowly standing, she headed inside, hoping someone would help her with her current predicament.

"Mrs. Taisho? Mr. Taisho?" she called as she entered the house.

Silence… _'Anyone?..'_ walking through the house, she headed straight into the kitchen in hopes to find a first aid kit.

Entering the kitchen she saw the refrigerator door opened with someone hiding behind it.

"Hello", she asked hesitantly. A head popped out from behind the fridge door, revealing her playmates older brother, Sesshoumaru.

"What do you want", He asked with that 'hurry and tell me so I can continue on with my life' sort of way that just made Kagome shrink back.

"I…I scraped my knee… do you have a band aid?" She couldn't help but feel so intimidated by him. He was tall for his age, and was 4 years older. He always seemed so mature for his age.

Pursing his lips together, he stepped away from the fridge and walked towards her. "Let me see it."

She held her leg higher as he bent down to get a better look. "Sit down, I'll be right back." Without another word he left the room for a brief second before entering with a clean towel and bandages.

She sat there as he cleaned and dressed her wound. She was watching him be careful with her, as if he would hurt her more if he wasn't gentle. After a few more moments she stood up and walked toward the sink without another word.

Feeling a bit sheepish and not knowing what else to do, she stood up, and walked in his direction. She offered him the only thing she could think of. Slowly, she wrapped arms around his waist.

"Thank you." She said genuinely, allowing her arms to fall from him. She turned and left the kitchen.

She was walking down the hallway when she thought she heard a voice, "You're welcome, Kagome." Quickly dismissing it as nothing, she returned outside to resume a game of tag.

*End Flashback*

Now here she is and it appears the roles have reversed. But could she do this? She never had any hard feelings towards him, but the resemblance between him and her ex-husband was daunting.

The sound of the door opening broke her away from her thoughts. She didn't know what to do with herself as she saw a _very_ lively girl come bounding in followed by a short middle aged man.

"Rin, you hyperactive child! Calm down otherwise I will take you right back home." Screeched the man in a nasally voice.

Reacting out of natural instinct as a nurse, Kagome, in a professional manner, turned around and faced the man and little girl. She kindly asked, "Sir, please keep the noise down. We have patients here whom are trying to rest."

Embarrassed, he walked in and closed the door behind him, allowing Kagome to get a good look at him. Fairly short, came to just below her shoulders; large lips and big brown eyes. Hair was little to non-existent. He approached her and began asking questions concerning the gentleman in the bed just a few feet from them.

A little confused, she couldn't help but ask, "I'm sorry, but who are you? Technically I am only to speak to the patient's family."

He responded, "I am Jakan, Mr. Taishou's assistant. Now…"

"Is he ok", came a small fragile voice that sounded like it was going to break at any moment.

Both sets of eyes turned to look at the child standing by the bed, hands clasped in the hands of the silver haired man in the hospital bed.

Completely ignoring the man she was talking to, she walked over to the child, and knelt down. "What's your name", she asked trying to bring the little girls attention to her.

Hitching her breathe as she saw two amber eyes look her way with tears filling them. "I'm Rin. Are you going to take care of my daddy?"

Searching her eyes, there was no mistake. This HAD to be Seshoumaru's child. The eyes were a rare family trait, and contrast to the girls, long black hair made her look like a fragile porcelain doll. "I am going do my best", as she offered her a smile to give her some reassurance. At that moment the little girl launched herself into Kagome's arms, seeking comfort.

"It's going to be okay, I promise." Kagome wasn't sure exactly how it happened, but at that moment she would do anything for this little girl.

Giving one last good squeeze before letting her go, she stood up and turned towards the man standing behind her. "My name is Kagome, I'm the RN in charge of Mr. Taishou right now".

"How is he?" Jakan asked with concern in his voice.

Deciding to talk softly as to not upset Rin, Kagome drew in a long breathe and informed him about the wellbeing of a particular silver haired patient that was currently in her care.

"If you would like, I could have our head doctor come down here and go into further detail." She said, glancing towards Rin and saw that she was holding her father's hand tenderly.

"That would be most appreciative", Jakan said, shocked beyond belief that his boss was currently in such a state.

Nodding her head, "Go ahead and have a seat, I will go and get him for you." She turned to face the door to leave.

"Kagome?... Will you be taking care of my daddy?"

Frozen in her tracks, she didn't know how to respond. Spinning around, Kagome found herself looking into watery amber eyes. Her heart broke into a million pieces, to see the anguish this little girl was already faced with.

Trying her best to be optimistic, Kagome managed to force a smile onto her face to give reassurance.

"I'll make sure he gets the best help there is." Offering another smile, Kagome exited to room.

Standing outside in the hallway, she tried to gather together her thoughts. '_Breathe, just breathe. Kagome, you are doing the right thing.'_

Continuing to walk down the hallway, she found herself at Dr. Yamada's office once again, and firmly knocked.

"Come in", came the permission she waited for, when she entered his office to find him surrounded by a mountain of papers.

"Hello Dr. Yamada." She politely said, as she entered and stood before his desk.

"Kagome! What can I do for you?" he asked looking over his glasses.

"I'll do it."

Okay I am going to stop here. Seriously please let me know what you think, for some reason I kind of struggled with this chapter.

Anywho! I'll update as soon as I can!

Thanks Y'all!


	3. Chapter 3

A Florence Nightingale:

Chapter 3

So… I know it has been forever since I have updated... what can I say- I suck haha

Anyway just to let you all know I am not giving up on this story, I love it too much. Anyway- I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha

The end of the day had come fairly quickly to Kagome and yet so much had occurred to her. Dr. Yamada allowed her to go home and get some rest, before she started the rehab program she was to design for Sesshoumaru.

At the moment she was walking up the three flights of stairs to where her apartment was. With each step it felt like her feet were chained to an iron ball, and boy oh boy her bed was not coming fast enough for her. All she wanted to do was shower and climb into bed and just shut her eyes and hope and pray that today was just a long nightmare.

Finally, at her door, she was able to grab the keys from her purse with little trouble and she was grateful. Opening the door slowly she noticed that the lights were off and the apartment was silent.

'_Sango must still be out..'_ Kagome thought to herself. In a way she couldn't help but feel relief wash through her. It's not like she didn't like Sango, that wasn't the problem at all. In fact, she felt Sango was the sister she was supposed to have and the Gods didn't grant them that pleasure.

Taking in a long, slow sigh, she closed the door and leaned up against it.

'_What am I going to do? How am I going to do this… I guess I should tell Sango what's happening… First shower.'_

With that she pushed herself of from the door and headed towards the bathroom with hope that the days stress would just wash it off her.

Not much later, the bathroom door opened, allowing steam to pour out into the hallway. Kagome emerged, and glanced back into the living room, looking to see if there was any sign of life yet. All was still quiet. Deciding not to think about where her friend was, she headed towards her bedroom. Sango was pretty notorious for being a library junkie. She probably was there studying.

Dressed in a tank top and boy shorts, Kagome climbed into bed; and before her head hit the pillow she felt sleep carry her away to the blissful oblivion of the subconscious.

********* Dream**********

There was no one in sight. Kagome walked down a long hallway subconsciously the smell of sterilized cleaner came from a distant memory. '_This must be a hospital...'_

Looking in room after room, hoping to find some kind of sense to this bizarre dream. Finally she found herself in what appeared to be the neonatal wing of the hospital. Walking closer to the glass window where all newborn babies are placed for close monitoring, Kagome couldn't help but notice that those tiny beds were vacant also.

At this moment a cold shiver climbed up her spin, _' This… feels so strangely familiar...'_

**Beep…. Beep…Beep…**

Looing to her right, there was a door, and the sounds of a heart monitor caught her attention. Turning away from the glass, she headed towards to door. Placing her hand on the handle, she slowly twisted and opened the door.

There in the room was a bed, with a female occupant. She had long black wavy hair, and fair porcelain skin. She felt her heart tighten, and it had finally dawned on her where she was.

'_It's THAT hospital. Kyoto hospital, that's me.'_

Movement from across the room caught her attention, the occupant in the bed started to open her beautiful blue eyes, exhaustion evident on her face with a hint of sadness.

The sound of the door opening caused her to turn around, a man dressed in a white long sleeve coat. Instantly she backed away the man, and saw his lips moving- but no sounds could be heard.

Looking between the doctor and her dream self, she didn't have to hear to know what was happening. The expressions of her face gave it all. The woman had tears streaking down her face, with her arms clutched around her torso.

At that precise moment a ache started to seep into her heart and she couldn't explain how it was happening; but the pain worsen to the point where she felt she was going to explode. Falling to her knees she couldn't hold it in any longer. She let a blood-curdling scream emerge from her lips.

Instantly she sat up and looked about the room she woke up in. It was still getting dark, deciding that maybe it was time to get up and get something to eat she rose form the bed and came to a stop at her dresser.

There, next to it in the corner was a box. Without even thinking about it, she headed towards it and gingerly picked it up and brought it back to her bed. Taking a deep breath she removed the lid and peered into items that felt like it belonged to someone else.

There were dozens of pictures of a couple as happy as could be. The man dressed in a tuxedo, the woman, was wearing a beautiful white dress. Clearly, it had to be that special day for them, their wedding.

Pushing aside the still frames of the memories- she hand searched for the item she felt the urgency to find. Towards the bottom, there it was. Her hand came in contact with cotton.

Raising it up from the container, she held it out in front of her. It was the smallest new born onesie she ever held in her hands, immediately tears formed in her eyes. Before she could allow herself to wallow in the sadness she felt, her bedroom door opened.

"Hey I went to the grocery store to get stuff f- Kagome? Honey what's wrong are you okay?" Sango, stopped in the doorway made her way towards her friends bed and sat down next to her, giving her friend a supportive side hug.

Looking down at friends hands she noticed for the first time what she was holding. "Do you want to talk about it?" brown eyes looked into blue eyes, offering a silent understanding if she didn't wish to share.

"Sango… I was married once… I also had a daughter."

END!

Hey guys I hope you enjoy this short chapter. I plan on updating soonish. But please comment because I would LOVE to hear your opinions!

Alright until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

A Florence Nightingale: Ch 4

Several days had passed since the night Kagome shared more information about her past. It had been one of the hardest things Kagome ever had to do; she trusted Sango with her life, but sometimes, the reason why it is hard is because deep down there is a part of you that has finally accepted that the worse has happened.

Sango found herself yet again working the graveyard shift, not that she minded really. What she loved most about it was that as she made her rounds on the post-op floor, she felt like time had come to a stand still and she was able to travel in time and space and no one noticed her at all. A small smile graced her face as she thought about how silly it seemed. Time travel! As if THAT could ever happen.

She continued to walk the whole floor checking all the patience's vitals. Seeing that major had changed in any of their stats, she decided to take one little detour before heading back to the on call room to catch a power nap.

Approaching the room just a few doors from the said on call room, Sango placed her hand on the handle and took a deep breathe before entering the dark silent room and quickly closing the door behind her.

Standing there, she surveyed the room. _'Still pretty tidy… No sign of visitors... So strange.'_ A small pang of pity hit her in her heart. Seeing patients recovering in the hospital with no loved ones was hard for her to see. In her opinion, no one should ever have to be alone in a scary situation like this.

Her brown eyes rested on the recliner chair next to the patient's bed. Slowly she walked over to it, and tried to get as comfortable as she could when she sat down.

Looking over the man's features, she could easily see he was very handsome. His silver hair gave him angelic features. "Where could your family be?" Asked Sango out loud to no one in particular in the room. The response she got was the heart monitor beeping in its steady pace.

"My best friend told me about you. You're Sesshoumaru." Pausing to almost question herself what was she doing, talking to this man whom was in a coma and obviously wouldn't be apart of her conversation. But the second thought that came to her won her over and the voice gently whispered reminding her that he could in fact hear her. Again allowing a smile to form on her face, she decided that a short little visit with him wouldn't hurt.

"My name is Sango, I work a lot of graveyards. Not gonna lie to you, this is kind of weird to be doing. But, then again who isn't weird right?"

Allowing herself to sit back into the chair and gently rock back and forth, she took up trying to do small talk "with" her new friend and let time pass by before doing another round to check her patients.

Not too far from the hospital, in a small apartment, a young woman with black hair slowly opened her eyes as the sun began to rise in the horizon. Raising her hands above her head, and stretched her sore muscle, hoping they would wake up soon so she could get moving with her day.

Thankfully, Dr. Yamada gave her the day off. This allowed her to do errands that had been postponed for a while. First thing she needed to do was get the oil changed and tired rotated.

Rising from her bed, she headed towards the shower- _'I'm so taking a nap later today.' _ She thought to herself as another yawn escaped her mouth. Turning the water on to hot, she let it heat up before stepping in and started getting ready for the day.

Stepping from her apartment building to the street, Kagome took a deep breath. Oh, how she loved the smell of the air in the mornings, it was so crisp and refreshing. Dressed in a loose black V-neck sweater, blue skinny jeans and a comfy pair of toms, she walked to her car, buckled her seat belt and drove to the auto-mechanic store across town.

Scared.

That was all she could really feel at this moment. Everything was foreign to her she had never been this far from home on her own. Buildings all around her were so monstrous; it made her feel tinier than an ant.

Small amber eyes looked all around her trying to find a place she might recognize. At this moment she was regretting skipping school to go see her dad at the hospital without Jaken even knowing.

Panic was starting to set in as she struggled to identify her surroundings. Tears soon entered her eyes and were on the brink of pouring out, but then something caught her eye, or, someone.

Kagome had just given the keys to the mechanic and had come time to kill. Recalling seeing a small bookstore a few blocks away, she decided to spend her time there browsing through some books.

Walking at a comfortable pace Kagome let her long legs carry her to the destination as she let her mind wonder to various things that were on her mind.

She was brought out of her musings when she felt a small tug on the back of her sweater. Coming to s stop she turned and looked behind her, there, standing was the little girl she had met at the hospital. _'Rin,'_ She thought, as she was able to place a name to her face.

"Rin? What are you doing here?" Kagome asked as she knelt down to her eye level.

"Kagome!" cried the small child as she launched herself into the arms of her savior. Tears filled her eyes, this time with relief and happiness- An angel came to her rescue, that same angel that was going to save her dad.

I'm going to pause here for now. The chapters will be a bit shorter just for a while, but I'm hoping that will allow me to update more frequently. Anywho, comment and review please!

-Umi101


	5. Chapter 5

Hey Everybody!

Last time in, A Florence Nightingale.. Kagome was enjoying her day off and getting errands done, but wait. who is this she runs into on the street? Rin?

Disclaimer: I do not own anything :(

Okay here it is, enjoy!

In a small ice cream shop, two ladies sad across from each other enjoying some ice cream sundaes. At the moment Rin was contempt with life right now. She was no longer lost, Kagome had found her and most importantly- she was eating ice cream.

What more could she ask for?! well.. Her dad feeling better of course.

Kagome observed the little girl sitting across from her; a smile grew on her face as she would notice the little things Rin did. For instance, after every bit she took of ice cream, Rin would close her eyes and sway her body from side to side with the cutest smile a child could ever produce.

"Rin, why are you out here?" She paid close attention to the way the child squirmed from the question.

"I.. I wanted to see my dad. I miss him." Amber eyes looked up to blue eyes before looking down to her bowl of ice cream. Kagome had a thought and with her day off, it may just work out perfectly.

"Does Jaken know where you are?"

Again Rin adverted her eyes, trying to look as innocent as possible. "He may think I'm at a friends house, for a play date."

"So how did you get here?" this puzzled Kagome. A lot. How does a child end up in the city all by themselves any how?

"My driver brought me here, he also thinks I'm on a play date at the movies."

"Oh, I see. Well, I would hate if you were to get into trouble for this. So, I have an idea; I'll call Jaken and tell him that I ran into you and your play date and you wanted to see your dad. Then you and I can spend the day together and we will go and see how your dad is, how does that sound?"

There was nothing that could be done or said that could contain the excitement radiating from the tiny little body that left both girls giggling. "All right then, I'll make that phone call."

Walking down the side walk, Rin stole glances up to the woman next to her and had the urge to hold the older ladies hand. She see's mothers and daughters hold hands everyday. _'I wonder...'_

Ever so slowly Rin lifted her hand to Kagome's- _'I hope she doesn't mind.'_

Kagome was enjoying the walk with her small traveling companion; it was nice to be outside in the fresh air for a change. She let her eyes turn towards the sky; just looking at the clouds, she was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a small hand slide into her own. Looking down at their joined hands, she noticed Rin was looking up at her trying to see what her reaction was.

Deciding to enjoy the moment, she began to swing their arms back and forth. "Okay Rin, would you like to go watch a movie, or, go get our nails done?"

"Oh Kagome! I've waited my whole life to get my nails done! Can we please do that!?" she dished out her ace in the pocket; the puppy eyes.

"Absolutely, let's go!"

'This was a great idea.' Kagome wasn't one to have someone pamper her all the time, but this was what she needed after a long hard week.

Both her and Rin got a pedicure and manicure, and chatted none stop about things they liked and didn't like.

Rin, couldn't have been happier, 'This is what having a mom feels like.' She had always wondered who her mom was, her dad didn't talk about her at all and whenever she asked her dad, he would get a sad look in his eyes before he responded, _**"The love of my life." **_

Not too long after nails were all done; the two girls headed back towards the mechanic shop to pick up Kagome's car and were soon on their way to the hospital.

Finding a parking spot wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be, winding through the halls they found themselves opening the door to the man they came to see. Opening the door a female voice could be heard, oddly enough, Kagome recognized it.

She called out, "Sango?" Opening the door more, there seated next to the patient bed was her roommate and best friend.

"Are.. Are you talking to him?" She asked teasingly, 'Oh I am never letting her live this down.'

"Is my daddy awake?" Rin asked with hope in her voice.

Kagome knelt down, eye level to Rin, "Oh, no sweetie. This is my friend Sango, sometimes when people we love are in a deep sleep like this, they can hear us talking."

"My daddy will hear me?" she asked.

"Go ahead and tell him what we did today, I'm sure he would love to hear it." Without hesitation Rin skipped to the chair beside the bed and began to chat away, giving every detail about her day.

"Who is this adorable little girl?" Sango asked as she walked to her friend.

"This is Sesshoumaru's daughter, Rin."

"Really? She is adorable."

Both women stood side by side and watched the little girl visit with her father.

"She really misses him." Kagome noted. The way Rin's eyes lit up and her smile got even bigger did not go unnoticed by her. "Her face is just glowing."

"Hey, do you think Dr. Yamada would let her spend a night here? It may be a little unethical in a sense, but hey- this patient gets whatever he wants right?"

Kagome really thought this through, "You know, that actually would be nice, for Rin."

"Kagome! Kagome! My daddy's hand moved!"

This grabbed the attention of both women immediately. They were at his side in a second, Sango, had her stethoscope out and began checking his vitals.

Kagome was next to Rin asking her questions, "What happened sweetie?"

"I was just talking to him, telling him about our nails and his hand went like this." mimicking a pulsing motion, she showed Kagome what happened.

"That's a great sign Rin, he could hear you." she smiled down at the small girl.

"Sango? anything?" Kagome asked.

"Hmm.. so far nothing, we could if we really want to go take him in for a CT scan..." She pulled out a tiny light from her pocket and checked his pupils.

"His pupils are dilating better than before. Honestly he could wake up any day now." She ended and looked at her friends face. She needed to see if Kagome would be okay.

"That's great news, do you hear that Rin?" The little girl nodded her head vigorously.

Looking down at her watch Kagome noticed it was quickly approaching five in the afternoon.

"Okay Rin, I promised Jaken I would have you home by six o'clock. We need to get going." She couldn't have missed the look of disappointment in the girls eyes, very solemnly she nodded her head.

"Rin, tell you what, I will talk to Jaken and maybe I can arrange to have him bring you here again sometime this week." All Rin could do was smile and nod her head.

Sango was standing quietly watching the whole scene unfold. _'If I didn't know any better...' _

Okay ending it here. Short chapter I know. *sigh* but I shall update asap :)

I want feedback from all you wonderful readers!

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!


End file.
